Peru airport officials seize more than 3,000 tarantulas hidden in dirty socks
Briefing by News4U · First published
More than 3,000 tarantulas were seized at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima after agents spotted wriggling in luggage during a routine customs check, Peru's National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) told Agence France-Presse, The Guardian reported. The spiders, from eggs and hatchlings to adults and from several regions of Peru, were hidden in dirty socks in three suitcases carried by two Germans and a Polish citizen heading to Germany. SERFOR technician Cora Suarez said one tarantula can sell for about €500 ($560) in Europe, so the haul could be worth about €1.5m; the suspects were detained by environmental-crime police and face criminal proceedings. [1]
Sources
- Peru airport officials discover 3,000 tarantulas smuggled inside dirty socks
The Guardian (AFP) · · Full text